The City of Charlottetown is one step closer to creating a Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Strategy thanks to funding from the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program (MCIP) and support from other community partners.

MCIP is a new five-year, $75-million program designed to encourage Canadian municipalities to better prepare for and adapt to the new realities of climate change as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and funded by the Government of Canada. The Capital City will receive $99,900 through the program. The money will allow the municipality to move beyond its corporate inventory to a full community greenhouse gas emissions inventory, as well as set energy use and greenhouse gas reduction targets and develop a strategy to meet those targets.

The MCIP funding covers 80 per cent of the City’s project costs and includes funding for the public consultation process, salary support for project team members and costs associated with producing the final report. It also includes funding support for a monitoring project to measure air quality, temperature and other key indicators as related to greenhouse gas emissions.

Additional funding partners include Maritime Electric Corporation Limited ($1,500) and efficiencyPEI ($5,000). The City’s contribution is $18,500, an amount that was included in the 2017 Environment and Sustainability operating budget. Additional funding may also be required as part of the City’s 2018 budget. The total estimated cost for the project is $125,000.

"The City of Charlottetown has made great inroads in tracking our greenhouse gas emissions, investigating and demonstrating the use of innovative energy solutions and making our facilities more energy efficient," said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee. "The strategy that will be produced as a result of this project will allow us to continue to advance that work and will provide the City of Charlottetown with a roadmap to meet our energy needs while reducing overall emissions. It will put the City on track to support and deliver on greenhouse gas emission reduction targets that have been set provincially, regionally, nationally and internationally."

Charlottetown’s project is one of 103 initiatives across Canada receiving funding through FCM’s two new programs, the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program and the Municipal Asset Management Program.

"Communities large and small are looking for ways to maximize their infrastructure dollars, plan for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change, and undertake programs that benefit the environment," Jenny Gerbasi, FCM President

In a national news release. "Local solutions are helping tackle national challenges — and are building a more livable, competitive Canada. We are proud of the great work communities are undertaking with the help of these federally funded programs."

The City of Charlottetown’s project will directly address goals and actions in its 2017 Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), such as:

• Improving processes and policies around energy monitoring and tracking in all City operations;• Developing and delivering public awareness campaigns focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy;• Reviewing City fleet and operations to identify ways to reduce idling, kilometers traveled and carbon emissions;• Investigating the need for more electric vehicle charging stations;• Evaluating different fee structure for parking that will incentivize carpooling, transit use and active transportation;• Developing partnerships between business, academia and government to create opportunities for innovation;• Identifying ways to localize the economy; And,• Exploring design solutions to meet the City’s objectives of preserving heritage and ensuring energy efficiency in heritage buildings.

"To become a more sustainable city, we need to address the sustainability of our resources and way of life, identify community assets and key stakeholders and work together on solutions that will have long-term impacts," said Deputy Mayor Mike Duffy, Chair of the City’s Environment and Sustainability Committee. "We’ve been striving toward reducing our fossil fuel dependency, improving our energy efficiency and converting to renewable energy sources. This funding and support from our partners will allow us to continue to make strides and meet the goals in the ICSP and, ultimately, reduce our greenhouse gas emissions now and in the future."

For more information on the Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), visit: www.charlottetown.ca/sustainablecity.php

For more information on the Municipalities for Climate Innovation Program, visit: https://fcm.ca/home/programs.htm